Thanks to you - KiwiSaver providers have dumped $109m from weapons and tobacco investments.
Let’s make them dump the rest.
Take a moment to pause and let what we’ve achieved together sink in.
Thanks to the actions of tens of thousands of New Zealanders like you — KiwiSaver providers have dumped at least $109 million in weapon and tobacco investments.
This is what happens when great investigative journalism and people power combine.
This is incredible progress, and testament to New Zealander’s ability to rise up and do the right thing in the face of grave injustice. But — as you can see — the fact that AMP, AON, ASB and Mercer are still able to hold out against such public pressure means we need to tighten up our laws and make these unethical investments illegal.
So, here’s where we’re at:
- Last month ActionStation members crowdfunded enough money to run independent polling to survey a representative sample of New Zealanders for their views on KiwiSaver investments — not just in bombs, landmines and missiles and tobacco — but junk food and sugary drink, alcohol, tax dodging companies and fossil fuels too. We got those results back Friday and trust us when say that Kiwis are not supportive of their money being invested in stuff that harms and kills.
- Over the next two weeks, we will release the results of this polling to the media bit by bit. This will help us build momentum, and popular support for stricter legislation on what KiwiSaver funds can and cannot be invested in. We know for a fact this Government pays attention to polls.
- And then, once we’ve cranked the pressure right up, we’ll deliver our petition to MPs on Parliament lawn when they next sit mid-October.
- Once the petition is tabled in the House, we’ll have the opportunity to mobilise New Zealanders at Select Committee. We’ll make submissions — oral and written — and together we’ll pile on the pressure. Opposition MPs and journalists will ask Government Ministers tough questions to which they’ll be forced to respond — and act.
Together we will use our people power to push for legislation that makes it illegal for KiwiSaver fund managers to invest our money in stuff that harms and kills. Our money can instead go toward building the more peaceful and sustainable future we know in our hearts is possible.
Here’s what you can do next:
ActionStation is a community-powered organisation and it is essential we pool together our creativity, our skills, our voice and our funds to create and drive the change we want to see in our country and world.
That’s why we want your thoughts on which creative tactic we should use to deliver our petition for an ethical KiwiSaver later this month. We want to do something fun and imaginative that will generate public and media attention.
Will you have your say on what that something should be?
Click here to take the survey.
Together we can ensure the retirement savings of New Zealanders are being used to close the gap between the world we have, and the world most people everywhere want.
With hope and determination,
Laura and the whole team at ActionStation.
PS. Here’s a helpful chart put together by our friends at 350 Aotearoa. It helps you see which KiwiSaver fund providers are invested in oil, coal and gas (aka cluster bombs for the planet). You can sign also their petition for an ethical Superfund that excludes fossil fuels here.
